Monday, June 28, 2010

growth chart

A client came to me seeking a hand-painted growth chart for his children. One request that he had was that it be a vine inspired by Jack and the beanstock fable and soar to 6 feet in height.

I had my carpenter cut a sturdy panel of birch wood and I primed and painted directly on the board after I had gathered images and a final drawing to work from.

There are always crows around beanstalks, right.

I had a lot of fun painting these twisitng parts of the vine to give the impression that it was spiraling upwards. Funny children have a way of doing that too, they grow like weeds over the summer. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5!Babies come into the world, grounded, napping, crawling and then climbing to new heights.Along the outside edge, the initials of each child will be recorded and this work of art shall serve as a reminder of just how quickly children grow. Do you have a growth chart or do you have a record on the wall like me?

41 comments:

We do, and it includes grandchildren and pets. Alas, it is not as beautiful and creative as your beanstalk is. It is the back of one of the front closet doors...I do smile when I open it, though. All of our progeny recorded there!

Marnie-My parents kept the scratches on the door where our dog "Snoopy" made his mark, my Dad says, money cannot buy that.Records on or off the wall have a way of showing us how fast life is. This summer, we are in slow down mode.pve

Lucky client!! It is just wonderful...my Dad charts Isabella and Max's growth on the inside of a doorway at his house. So much fun to have him mark off their new height and compare to the last measurement! Last time they'd each grown over an inch...crazy! Janell

Yes, in an old house, probably covered up by paint and wallpaper, my kids stretched into the world. My oldest son is 22 years old and 6'8"...he hits his head on the hook left over from his jolly jumper at Nanas...so funny.

Patricia, a perfect keepsake and beautiful reminder of how fast littles ones grown. Your talent is amazing. I'm glad I stopped by today. I like the story of Jack an d the stalk. OH boy have I had visits from the red cardinals! xo

I am a little late to the party, but had to share this story with you. The home of a dear friend of mine was recently torn down. My friend grew up in the house and we played there as children. Her family bought the house from the original owners and lived in it for the last 50 years. One member of that original family, now in his 60s, called my friend and asked if he could have a board out of a closet upstairs before the house was demolished. When he retrieved the board, it was the "growth chart" from his childhood in the house. After so many years he was able to save that one board that had such a special history. I love that.